Spring Fever and Piping Practice

Unseasonably warm temperatures have me thinking about spring flowers. 
Yes, spring fever has struck and I succombed to it by making floral cupcakes for the Ladies Tea and Luncheon at church. Spring fever isn't the only reason I made these cupcakes. 

I have been wanting to practice piping buttercream flowers with my new petal tips. 
I did find that piping the flowers individually on a flower nail was time consuming. However, I believe that the end results were worth the amount of time spent piping each purple bloom onto a square of parchment paper on top of a flower nail. What do you think? 
I also piped the daisy/aster blooms indiviually. 

Purple flowers - 104 tip and a 3 tip for the yellow centers
White flowers - 102 tip and a 5 tip for the centers
Green ruffles on the cupcakes - 104 tip
Yellow drop flowers - 224 tip

The Cupcakes
Lemon and strawberry are the two flavors I chose to use in these cupcakes. I purchased a box of each flavor at the local grocery store. After mixing the cake batters, I put about 2 Tbsp. of yellow lemon cake batter in each cupcake liner. Next, I topped the lemon cake batter with pink, strawberry cake batter. A swirled "S" with a butter knife created marbled cupcakes that are pink and yellow. 

I made 2 dozen cupcakes and used the left over batter to make 1-9 inch layer cake. After cooling the layer cake, I wrapped it in plastic wrap and it is in the refrigerator freezer compartment waiting for me to torte it, or slice it crosswise, and to fill/frost with buttercream frosting.

A Preview of Teddy Bears Driving a Candy Car Cupcakes and a Smash Cake

Hi, there! 

I will add more to this post when I am done with the smash cake. Plus, I will show you how I made the cars. This is what I completed last night - 30 cupcakes and 15 teddy bear cars. 

Tale of a Crazy Cupcake Maker

I work full-time by necessity. At night, I bake and write to my heart's content. 
Occasionally, I seem to forget I work 40+ hours a week and volunteer for a baking project. (smile) Yes, I took on a baking project for work.
Did I mention that I work at a rural, elementary school? No? Well, I do and I took on a now annual project. 
It's annual because this is the second time I have volunteered for this particular project. Yep, I know   c---r---a--z--y! 
Most school districts try to "pump up" the students about taking the annual spring assessment test for their state. 
Our school district also participates in this process to excite and enthuse the students about taking an hours long, computerized test. 
Last year"s theme for grades three to six was: "Superheros Fly Away With a Good Book."

My volunteer baking project was a trio of half sheet cakes decorated with superheroes and books. 
After baking, decorating, and transporting three half sheet cakes, I swore to NEVER take on three half sheet cakes again. 
Instead, a single half sheet cake with coordinated cupcakes would be MUCH better! Shaking your head and laughing at me aren't you? It's okay. I am doing the same thing, too. I'm enthusiastically c--r--a--z--y! 
Actually, my volunteer baking project turned into one hundred and fifty, ROCK the MAP! cupcakes.
Yes, I thought this all up on my own and the idea was enthusiastically received by my coworkers when I said I could this for......wait a minute.....drum roll please..... $50. 
The actual cost? $52.00 and 16+ hours of my evenings at home. 
Yep, c----r-----a----z---y! 
Anyway, my grand plan calls for:

1. a cupcake to be placed into a 10 oz. party cup
2. pipe orange frosting onto the cupcake
3. place a fondant record decoration on top of the frosting
4. slip the cup-ensconced treat into a clear treat bag. 
5. THEN, decorate and close the bag with strands of yellow and black curling ribbon. 
6. place the beribboned treat bag into a cardboard box
7. deliver the cupcakes to work on the Friday before testing starts.

Piece of cake, right? Yep, this was going to be much easier that three, half sheet cakes.

Sunday evening from 6:00 P.M. to 6:30 P.M.

The grand plan begins with making three pounds of chocolate fondant and coloring it black. That should be enough for 150 - two inch disks wouldn't you think? 

Monday Morning from 4:00 A.M. to 6:00 A.M.

I wake up at 4:00 wide awake and decide to roll out and cut the fondant records. After making a pot of coffee, I make 138 - two inch fondant disks. This uses all of the fondant that I made on Sunday. Time to dress for work and leave a note to myself, "Make more fondant! Need 12 more records.

Monday Evening from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.

Time to make another pound and a half of chocolate fondant, color it black, roll it out, and cut 19 more two inch disks. Extra is a good thing!

Tuesday Evening

It was such a long day at work. I decide to hangout on the love seat with the hubby instead of decorating the 156 blank fondant records that are waiting for me. After all, I had until Friday morning.

Wednesday night from 6:00 P.M.- 10:00 P.M.

After supper, it is time to bake, package and box 150 cupcakes. After this task is done, I decide it's late and the frosting can be done on Thursday night. I also decide to wait until Thursday to make royal icing and decorate the blank fondant records.

Thursday Evening at 5:00 P.M.

I arrive home with 14 hours to finish this project! It's crunch time!

Immediately, I start mixing a large amount of yellow royal icing. It is time to pipe a circle and  "ROCK IT!"  on the 150 fondant records. 

At 6:00 P.M. my thoughtful, supportive husband announces he will buy and pick up a pizza for supper. He is a keeper!

Remember, I was supposed to have this done on Tuesday night, but didn't do it. 

Four hours later - at 9:00 P.M.

I finished adding a circle and 2-3 music notes on the last fondant record. 

I immediately make two double batches of orange frosting. My estimate said this amount will be enough for 150 cupcakes, and then the following process began:

•  load up a 16 inch pastry bag with frosting
• frost cupcakes until I have no more frosting in the piping bag
•  add record toppers
• place the completed cupcakes into a treat bag
• put the bagged cupcakes back into a box - I have limited space in my kitchen.

Three hours later - at Midnight

I am beginning to wonder if I have enough butter cream frosting to complete my project. A quick check of the pantry reveals - No More Powdered Sugar! 

"I could be in big trouble!" runs through my tired brain. We live in rural Missouri and the nearest 24 hour Superstore is 20 miles away.

At 1:00 A.M. Friday Morning

I bow my head and pray to Jesus to extend my frosting. After praying, I realize I still have about two cups of yellow royal icing. I dump it into the orange butter cream frosting and stir the two together. 

There was just enough frosting to finish the last 26 cupcakes. I thank Jesus, make a pot of coffee and take a thirty minute break.

                                                 At 1:30 A.M. Friday Morning

It is time to start tying the lengths of black and yellow curling ribbon onto 150 bags. By now, I know it will take me at least 3 hours. I keep drinking coffee. 

                                                 At 5:00 A.M. Friday Morning

The last bagged cupcake receives it's ribbon and is placed back into the container. 

              Yep, I just pulled an all-nighter to make cupcakes. C--R--A--Z--Y! 

In spite of feeling like a crazy woman, I am also feeling a sense of accomplishment. After a quick sigh of relief, I start another pot of coffee, take a shower, dress for work, and fill my car with boxes of beautifully packaged cupcakes.

Moral  of the Story

 Thou shall not procrastinate to decorate!

Lollipop Crispy Treat Pops

Lollipop meets rice crispy treat and the two merge to form a Lollipop Crispy Treat. The outside is rice crispy treat and hidden inside is a lollipop. This is how to make them:

• Make a batch of rice krispy treats. 
• Pour the warm krispy treats into a greased 10 inch by 15 inch  by 1 inch sheet pan or sided cookie sheet. 
• Press into an even layer. 
• Cut into two inch circles.

Unwrapped Dum-Dum lollipops

• Shape and form the cereal treat circle around a lollipop. 
• Use pieces of cereal treat as necessary to achieve a smooth, solid layer. 

• Continue until all of the krispy treats are gone.
• This will make about twenty to twenty-two  lollipop crispy treats. 
• If desired, dip the crispy treat cake pops into a glaze, melted candy melts, or melted almond bark and apply sprinkles. 
• Set on waxed paper until dry.

A finished lollipop crispy treat finished at midnight for an afternoon baby shower.

It's a Boy! Baby Shower - Lime Green and Blue

About the last week of January, I received a phone call from my pregnant daughter. The conversation went like this:

A: Hi, mom. Are you feeling?

S: I am feeling better. My ribs and head feel a LOT better now. (I was in a black ice accident and totalled my car about a week before the phone call.)

A: Mom, are you going to have a baby shower for Cooper?

S: I was thinking about it.We only have five weekends until you are due. (This is where I pulled up the calendar on the computer.)

After checking the church calendar, our calendars, and her sister's calendar 

We set a date three weeks away. Yep, I know I am crazy for attempting a baby shower in three weeks, but that is the challenge I took on. 

My first step was to create a private event page on Facebook 

Ashley invited family and friends. I invited the church family members.Immediately after having the shower put on the church calendar, the event was in the church bulletin for the next three weeks. 

How did I plan the decor? By Searching Pinterest, Baby! 

Most of my ideas came from pictures featured on Pinterest boards. 

The trick to not getting overwhelmed? Search by color. I searched for lime green and blue baby showers. 

A variety of themes appeared during my color search - nautical, jungle, monkeys, rubber duck, and little man. However, I kept my colors firmly in mind. 

When I couldn't find the printed plates I designed the colors from, I didn't melt down. Instead, I chose solid colors in lime green and blue.

The night before the shower.

Alternating lime green and blue napkins and cutlery were rolled and then tied with white curling ribbon for the place settings. 

Table cloths, plates, napkins, cutlery, prizes, name tags, banners, and lime green balloons were purchased at dollar stores. A 72-balloon package with predominantly white, light blue, and a darker blue balloons was purchased from the local supercenter.

The finished decor for the It's a Boy! baby shower.

Onesies with baby animals coordinate with the centerpiece toys. A blue and white clothesline completed the onesie banner. 

• Cupcake and sugar cookie party favors were placed on the tables for the guests.
• The cupcakes are baked in aluminum liners and topped with blue and green swirled buttercream frosting. 
• The letter "c" initial sugar cookies are topped with royal icing.
• Party cups, treat bags, and light blue, iridescent curling ribbon were used to package the favors. 

 

Cupcake and sugar cookie favors flank a  mini-diaper cake and frog centerpiece. See the red lip print on the frog's cheek? 

• Guess How Many? baby bottle game - You will need two, 11 oz. packages of candy to fill a 9 ounce baby bottle with only blue and green pieces. The bottle is the prize.
• Shower prizes - Blue body wash with adorable bath puffs. 
• The labels are squares cut from a jumbo gift bag. I printed "From Ashley's shower to yours!" on each label. Then I tied everything together with light blue, iridescent curling ribbon. 

I hope this post helps you plan a baby shower. For a baby girl, use the same ideas just use pink and lime green. 

Butter Cream Flower Birthday Cake with Cupcakes

My newest cake creation!  You can make a cake like this too! All you need are two boxes of cake mix, white and colored butter cream frosting, five decorating tips, and some pastry bags. I am a self-taught decorator. I watch video tutorials and then try out the techniques. 

These two-tone hydrangeas make me particularly happy. I am a fan of Rosie Cake-Diva on YouTube and followed her tutorial to create the hydrangea flowers on the cake and cupcakes. Click Here for her tutorial.

The piped lettering is with a Wilton #5 tip.
Tip: Pipe on your lettering before you start adding decorations.Mistakes are much easier to repair.  

Matching cupcakes created with a #67 leaf tip, #177 drop flower tip, and a Wilton 2D tip.

An upside down look at flowers decorating the cake top!

Wilton gel coloring in leaf green, sky blue, and violet

Leaves - #67 leaf tip

Flower and flower center -  #177 drop flower tip

Wilton gel coloring in leaf green and violet; McCormick liquid yellow food coloring

Leaves - #67 leaf tip

Flowers -  Wilton #224 drop flower tip

Flower center - Wilton #5 tip

Wilton gel coloring in pink and burgundy

Leaves - #67 leaf tip

Hydrangea - Wilton 2D tip

Corner detail

Blue border was made with the #177 drop flower tip. 

The Cake and Cupcakes

I used two white cake mixes for the 13 x 9 x 2 inch cake and 2 dozen cupcakes. I followed the package directions for mixing,baking,and cooling. However, I use whole eggs, not egg whites.

Then, I put the cupcakes and cake into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to get nice and cold before frosting.

Frosting the Cake

• Frost the cake with a thin layer of frosting. This is called a crumb coat. 
• Return the cake to the refrigerator to firm up the frosting. 
• After the crumb coat is firmed up and hardened, Frost the cake top and sides.
•  Again, return the cake to the refrigerator until the frosting has formed a "crust", or feels firm to a light touch. 
• Your cake is now ready to have the lettering piped on.
• Pipe on your flowers.

Frosting the Cupcakes

• I did not use a base coat of frosting on the cool cupcakes.
• I piped on the green garland first, then piped the flowers

Silky Smooth Ivory Butter Cream Frosting

Yield: frosting for one 13 x 9 x 2 inch cake and 2 dozen cupcakes.

Update 2/25/2016  Butter prices have almost doubled in the last year, $2.25 to $4.15. This recipe will work well if you use 1 cup of shortening and 1 stick of salted butter. 

Ingredients
2 sticks of salted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup of vegetable shortening
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup of water
2 lb. bag of confectioners sugar

Directions

• Place room temp. butter and vegetable shortening into a mixing bowl.
• Using an electric mixer on low speed, cream the butter and vegetable shortening together for 2-3 minutes.
• Add about 1/4 of the confectioners sugar and the vanilla extract.
• Beat with the mixer on low speed until well blended.
• Add another 1/3 of the remaining confectioners sugar and continue to mix at low speed until the frosting is well blended.
• Add 1/2 cup of water and half of the remaining confectioners sugar.
• Beat until well blended.
• Add remaining confectioners sugar.
• Continue to mix with the electric mixer on low speed.
• If coloring the frosting, add food coloring now.
• Blend food coloring into the frosting until the desired color is achieved.

Cake Frosting

• Put 2 cups of butter cream frosting into a bowl.
• Add 1 tsp of water. 
• Stir until well blended

You now you have cake frosting! How easy is that? 

Small Batch Variation

 Reduce ingredients by half:
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup of vegetable shortening
1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract
1/4 cup of water
1 lb. of confectioners sugar

Follow the same directions as the large batch recipe. 

My Desire to Bake - An Original Poem

Baby Bottom Cake Topper for a Baby Shower

Baby bottom cakes are so cute! That round, diaper clad bottom, half hidden by a blanket, with the tiny baby toes and feet peeking out are irresistible.

I couldn't wait to try making a baby bottom cake topper for a coworkers baby shower party. The color scheme was pink and green with a scattering of polka dots. Our cake was semi-homemade because the quarter sheet cake base was from a local supermarket.

Making a cake topper is much easier than making a whole cake. This is my first baby bottom cake. Yep, my very first one. However, the end result was worth the time AND I will be much quicker the second time
However,on this first attempt, I spent about six hours making marshmallow fondant, making marshmallow cereal treats, making frosting, baking a 9" cake round,and assembling the topper.

I watched two tutorials before I attempted making this cake.

1. Fondant baby bottom tutorial.
2. Butter cream frosted tutorial for a baby bottom cake.

To form the baby bottom, legs, and feet, I used warm, marshmallow cereal mixture.  

Baby bottom - A small, two cup bowl is a great mold for shaping the baby bottom. 

Baby Legs and Feet - A 3 1/2 inch cookie cutter helped me to shape the legs and feet.

•  First, I made two circles by packing warm, marshmallow cereal treat mixture into the cookie cutter; one 3/4" thick and one 1/2" inch thick.
•  Next, I cut the 3/4" circle in half and formed two curved "legs." 
• I also cut the 1/2" circle in half and formed the feet from these two pieces.  

Flowers - A scalloped cookie cutter and the open end of a 1M frosting tip cut the shapes for the flowers.

Name Tiles - The open end of a standard frosting tip cut the yellow circles for the name tiles. Piped, butter cream frosting is used for the lettering.

.

What I Will Do Differently

1. For a quarter sheet cake, downsize the cake base to eight inches by two inches.
2. Use royal icing instead of butter cream frosting for a base coat on the cereal treat pieces for the bottom, legs, and feet. Butter cream frosting just doesn't dry quickly enough.
3. Make a template for the toes and feet.

These changes will decrease the amount of time I need for the next topper that I make.

Not Quite a Fail: No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake Bites

Chocolate and cheesecake. A simultaneous craving for chocolate and cheesecake was the seed that sprouted into my idea for no bake, chocolate cheesecake bites.

The desire for chocolate and cheesecake had me in the kitchen scanning the pantry shelves and the refrigerator shelves.

 Hmmmm...a no bake cheesecake mix, chocolate almond bark, milk,.......AND chocolate syrup.

Those ingredients made perfect sense for making a chocolate cheesecake.  Brain cells continued to process the bytes of thought into a more developed idea. Finally, a plan emerged from all of the processed ingredient data and options.

THE Plan

1. Use the no bake cheesecake filling, but not the graham cracker crumbs.
2. Flavor the milk for the cheesecake with chocolate syrup.
3. Use the mini-muffin pan with liners for cheesecake bites.
4. For the crust, use melted chocolate almond bark.

One, nagging thought did keep popping up for attention - What if the chocolate syrup, an added liquid, caused the filling to remain soft? 

You know what I did, right? Told myself it would be just fine.  Anyway, let me continue this not quite a fail tale. 

The Plan Worked Well

• The cheesecake filling blended very well with the chocolate milk.
• The melted chocolate bark was somewhat thick, but it smoothed easily with a teaspoon.
• The cheesecake filling was quickly poured into each liner.
• A last minute addition: shaved, chocolate almond bark on top of the cheesecake bites.
• The completed, pan of twenty-four bites went into the refrigerator on the top shelf. 
• The timer was set for one hour.

Beep-beep-beep. One hour was up.

Anticipation was high as I removed the pan from the refrigerator. Carefully, I removed one bite from the pan and gently began to remove the liner. 

Remember that one nagging thought about the filling? 

The outside edges of the cheesecake filling remained attached to the liner. Oh well, the cheesecake bite still looked good and the chocolate almond bark was firm.

Greedily, I popped the whole bite-sized treat into my mouth.

Luscious, chocolate cheesecake sent my taste buds into a flash mob dance. My teeth parted to bite into the chocolate bottom, and encountered a disc of chocolate almond bark. 

Remember the last time you bit into a solid chocolate Easter bunny? Biting into the chocolate bottom of the cheesecake bite was exactly like that moment. 

However, I remained optimistic. I am a "glass half full" woman. After all, the cheesecake box directions said to, "wait at least one hour before serving." The filling could still get firmer. Plus, the bottom was solid, but it was chocolate.

24 Hours Later

The cheese cake filling was still slightly soft. The outside edges of the cheesecake filling continued to stay on the liner. 

In Conclusion

The slightly soft, chocolate cheesecake filling had my taste buds dancing with happiness. A perfect blend of chocolate and cheesecake flavor. Chocolate almond bark is chocolate almond bark, it always makes me happy to eat it. My brain cells have already been busy formulating a new plan for making No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake Bites. Keep checking in because I have another box of  No Bake Cheesecake!

Not Quite A Fail - PB&J Oatmeal

You are used to reading food blog posts that feature wonderful,carefully tested recipes. What about the food ideas that do not work out? Surely adventurous home cooks and bloggers have tried an idea that does not work.

Truth time: Some of my attempts to create a new recipe do not work out. This morning was one of those days. Prepare to read about a Bonham Business Breakfast idea that did not create ANY eye appeal.

The Problem - No Sweetener
Bill loves a big bowl of buttery oatmeal that is sweetened with brown sugar. My bowl of oatmeal had no butter and no sugar. Gruel-like is the best description. Why? I forgot to buy my sweetener. What was I going to do? Logical thinking is hard for me in the morning. Especially before I consume at least two cups of coffee.

Birth of a Solution or My Best Morning Thinking

• Hmmm....grape jam would make it sweet. And peanut butter would taste great with the grape jam. Eagerly, I reached into the refrigerator for the jar of grape jam. The jar of creamy peanut butter was next. 
• How much was I going to use? Two parts jam to one part peanut butter would sweeten the oatmeal and the peanut butter. 
• Two rounded Tbsp. of grape jam went into the bowl with the cup of oatmeal and two cups of water. Yes, I super size my morning oatmeal.
• One generous Tbsp. of creamy peanut butter followed.
• The bowl of oats, jam, and peanut butter went into the microwave for three minutes. 
• I removed the bowl from the microwave and stirred to blend the melting jam and peanut butter.
• The normal oatmeal color changed into...........pale gray. Great that sure looks yummy.
• Thinking it would look better after completing the cooking time, I placed the bowl back into the microwave.
• Two minutes later, I removed the bowl and stirred it well. Pale gray became grayier. At least I could smell the peanut butter.
• Taste test.....barely discernible grape flavor, nice peanut butter flavor,  no sweetness.

What Now?

Brown sugar sweetened the oatmeal. I do eat my almost failed dishes. The grayish, peanut butter flavored oatmeal was much better with 2 Tbsp. of packed brown sugar. 

Note to Self:

Stick with fruit flavored oatmeals. When hungry for PB&J, make a peanut butter and jam sandwich. 

Best Baking TOOLS & EQUIPMENT - A Video

My Cupcake Addiction has become my favorite source for cake decorating and baking tutorials. Learn more about creating some homemade happiness on a plate. SalleeB.

Ridin' 4 Jesus 55th Birthday Cake

Happy birthday to me! Turning fifty gave me the blues. I kept quiet, made the hubby swear to no party, and managed to make it past fifty without any over-the-hill references. Now, five years later,  I'm ready to embrace my age and celebrate! My birthday is a great reason to make a cake and decorate it with RBCF, or rolled butter cream fondant.

Front of competed cake.
The Sallee Bonham figurine was originally a Harley Davidson Christmas ornament.
 I painted the hair red and put my own back patch on the vest. 

The beginning.
The layers are covered in Rolled Butter Cream Fondant, RBCF.

Floral Decorations are RBCF,

Wilton Colors - Leaf Green, Black, and No Taste Red

McCormick Food Coloring - Blue

RBCF flowers and leaves. 

I used chocolate RBCF for  the highway, landscape, and the cross

Sugar cookie signs lettered with all-purpose butter cream frosting.

Close up of sign details for my important life events.
CMA means Christian Motorcyclist Association

Back of cake with 1990 Baby 2 sign and final floral details. 

The early years of my life.

Yield: about twenty-five 2" x 2" servings of cake, plus a dozen, variously sized, sugar cookies.

Sizes and Quantities

three 9 1/2" inch layers

one 4" x 4" layer

one batch of sugar cookies

three pounds of chocolate RBCF (rolled butter cream fondant)

three pounds of vanilla RBCF

1 large batch of all purpose butter cream frosting

The Ingredients

4 boxes of cake mix, 3 white and 1 chocolate

3  two pound bags of powdered sugar

2 cups of light corn syrup

1 1/2 cups of shortening

1 cup of butter

3 cups flour

4 tsp. of vanilla

eggs

baking powder

salt

Sweet Turkey Cake - My First Effort

What do you think? With the help of a vintage 1979 Wilton cake pan and a Wilton #21 star tip, I created this sweet turkey cake.

To line, fill, and define the different areas of the turkey, I decided to use white, orange, and red frosting The star tip, held at different angles, created the various shapes and textures.The pupil of the eye is half of a raisin.

The Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients

1/2 cup canola oil                   1 1/2 cup sugar

1 egg                                      1-15 oz. can pumpkin

2 tsp. baking soda                 1 tsp. cinnamon   

1/4 tsp. cloves                       1/8 tsp. allspice

                                                                2 cups of flour                       1/4 tsp. salt

Directions

• Coat turkey cake pan with a thin layer of shortening (not cooking spray).
• Flour the pan.
• Pour excess flour out and set cake pan aside.
• Cream oil and sugar
• add egg and beat well
• add the pumpkin and mix just until blended
• Add baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, flour, and salt. Mix until blended.
• Pour batter into floured cake pan.
• Spread batter with a spoon until it is level.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes
• Place a cooling rack or foil covered square of card board over the cake pan
• Flip the rack and pan upside down. Cake should release from pan and drop onto the cooling rack or foil covered card board.
• Let cake cool completely before frosting. 

This cake does not need extra liquid. I thought the liquid ingredient had been left out of the recipe, but I followed it as written. The cake was fine. Everyone loved it.

The Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. butter             1 - 8 oz. package of cream cheese, at room temperature

2 tsp. milk                   3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Blend the butter and cream cheese with a hand-held mixer or stand mixer, at low speed, until well blended. Add all of the remaining ingredients and beat at low speed until thick and glossy. Separate into separate bowls and tint as desired.

I did not "dirty ice" or put a base layer of frosting on the cake before I started piping on frosting stars, etc. I felt the turkey looked more realistic with a little "skin" peeking out here and there.